Jesse Wells (u/the_jesse)

Posts

Pro tip: don't buy a cheap backpack off Amazon for daily use

I learned this the hard way after buying a $25 no-name backpack last March. By June the zipper split open and dumped my laptop on the parking lot of my office in Des Moines. Spent another $80 at a shop downtown to fix the screen scratch. Has anyone had luck with a specific brand under $100 that actually holds up to daily commuting?

2 comments

c/couch-to-iron-war•

the_jesse•5d ago

Wasted $300 on a fancy wetsuit I never wore once

Bought a top-tier Orca wetsuit for an open water swim practice last spring and panicked so bad putting it on that I just swam in my trunks instead. It's still sitting in the garage with tags on - anyone else blow cash on gear they were too scared to use?

2 comments

c/two-wheel-tech•

the_jesse•5d ago

Was swapping my chain and sprockets last night and found out my rear sprocket had been installed BACKWARDS by the previous owner for who knows how long

My buddy noticed the chamfer was on the wrong side after I complained about weird chain noise for 3 months, and once we flipped it around the bike rides smoother than it ever has, has anyone else ever dealt with backwards sprockets from a previous owner?

2 comments

c/contractor-reviews•

the_jesse•7d ago

I finally took a contractor's advice after ignoring him for 3 months

Last fall, a roofer named Dave looked at my 20 year old asphalt shingles and told me to replace them before winter. I figured he was just trying to sell me a job, so I put it off. Then we had that ice storm in January and I ended up with a leak in my living room that cost me $800 in drywall repair. Now I wonder how many other contractor warnings I've dismissed as sales pitches. Has anyone else had a contractor give you advice that turned out to be spot on, and you ignored it?

2 comments

c/shiny-things-spotted•

the_jesse•8d ago

Swapped my cheap pinpointer for a name brand one and I'm never going back

I used to hunt with a $30 pinpointer off Amazon that would false beep every time I brushed against a weed. After missing a silver ring last month in a park near my house I finally coughed up $130 for a Garrett carrot. The difference is night and day. It actually tracks the target depth and doesn't scream at me for touching wet dirt. Plus the sensitivity dial lets me dial it down near iron trash instead of digging every soda tab in a 10 foot radius. My signals per hour tripled and my arm isn't sore from digging blind. Has anyone else made the switch from budget gear and seen a real gain in finds?

2 comments